Current Codes
Russia has mandatory residential buildings codes for single- and multi-family buildings. The country also has a mandatory building code for commercial buildings.
Source: Global Approaches: A Comparison of Building Energy Codes in 15 Countries
Russia Thermal Performance Of Buildings (SNiP 23-02-2003)
Russia’s national building code, SNiP 23-02-2003, was passed in 2003 and has not been updated since. A design manual for the “Design of Thermal Performance of Buildings” was also created to assist the construction industry with compliance. The code sets guidelines for building envelope, fenestration, insulation materials, and other building materials and technologies.
Russia Multifamily Residential Buildings Code (SNiP 31-01-2003)
In 2003, the SNiP 31-01-2003 “Multifamily Residential Buildings” was passed with a section that directly addressed energy efficiency. Parallels EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC).
Compliance Verification:
Buildings must have documentation of energy efficiency rating, called an Energy Passport. In order to achieve approval for building construction and occupation, the building owner must provide an Energy Passport for the deign, construction, and occupation phases. The Energy Passport is essentially Russia’s method for conducting and energy audit, making sure that the building has been designed and built to meet relevant energy codes and to inform the occupants of the efficiency of the building.
Helpful Links
- Overview of Building Energy Efficiency Policies in Russia | IEA
- Green Building Council Russia
- Article: Energy Efficiency Tops the To-Do List for Russian Buildings October 2016
- Article: The Curious Case of Russian Energy Efficiency August 1, 2014
- Analysis of the Russian Market for Building Energy Efficiency December 2012
- Energy Strategy for Russia for the Period up to 2030 2010
- Increasing Thermal Performance and Energy Efficiency of Buildings in Russia: Problems and Solutions 2007
- Recent Advances in Energy Codes in Russia and Kazakhstan: Innovation, Energy Savings, Market Transformation 2004
- Development, Review, and Implementation of Building Energy Codes in Russia: History, Process, and Stakeholder Roles 2000
History
Russia’s first building energy codes were established in 1993, when the Russian Academy of Architectural and Construction Sciences (NIISF) worked with other Russian organizations and U.S. specialists to develop a code. The first regional code was then passed in 1994 for the City of Moscow. The most recent update to Russian code came in 2003, when both SNiP 23-02-2003, “Thermal Performance of Buildings,” and SNiP 31-01-2003, “Multifamily Residential Buildings”, were passed. These codes were meant to parallel the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive passed in 2002 and set relatively stringent standards on thermal insulation efficiency. Moscow also updated its local code in 2004, which addresses high-rise multi-family buildings.
In 2008, then-president Dmitry Medvedev identified energy efficiency and conservation as among five top strategic priorities in a broader scheme to modernize Russia.